Away From The Battle
by awake to chase a dream
Summary: Drarry, The Battle of Hogwarts is here, but Draco and Harry take an unexpected detour back in time to have one selfish moment before they are called to their opposing sides of the war.


The sound of the oncoming battle was distant. Harry felt he had to focus on this small victory, just for a second... because there would be many losses tonight. They were alive. Ron, Hermione, Malfoy and Goyle. They had escaped the fire and lay scattered on the stone floors, catching their breath, the clean air a contrast from the thick smoke they had flown through.

He looked to his right to see Goyle passed out and slumped against a wall. Ron and Hermione were close together, shaken by their near escape. He looked to his left and saw Malfoy laying beside him, his chest rising and falling rapidly and a few tears slipping silently down his cheeks.

"Harry..." Ron choked out "Harry, we've got to go. You've got the diadem, we can destroy it and go."

Harry sat up and looked at the tiara in his hands. He dropped it in shock as it trembled violently and the discoloured metal turned black. It hit the floor and shatered, emitting a faint scream from within it, as another part of Voldemort's soul died.

"FiendFyre. It destroys horcruxes, but it's so dangerous, volatile, difficult to control." Hermione explained quietly. "But Ron's right, we've got to go back and help. You've done what Dumbledore told you."

"It's only the snake. We kill that, and we can defeat him."

Ron got to his feet "Exactly. So what are you waiting for?"

He hesitated for a second. He had a strange feeling that he should stay. "You go ahead... I'll catch you up in a minute, I swear."

His friends gave him a strange look, but left anyway. He looked back at Malfoy "Are you alright?"

He nodded, but didn't speak. Instead he sat up and ran a hand through his hair, mixing soot into the pale blonde strands. Then he looked at Harry, the confusion evident on his face "You saved me?"

"Of course I did."

"But... you could of died. Weasley would of left us."

"Would you prefer me to have listened to him?" he laughed with disbelief "You would rather be burnt alive than saved by us blood-traitors and mudbloods?"

"No, no! I'm just... surprised. Thank you."

That was something Harry had never expected to hear "I would never had fit into Slytherin... not really. Otherwise I'd never have done that."

They were quiet for a moment, before Malfoy spoke again "And you didn't leave with them. How come you're still here instead of fighting?"

"I will join the fight. I'm not going to abandon everyone now. But, I dont know. I just got the feeling that I needed to stay here a while longer." Harry looked out a nearby window, frowning.

"Yeah?"

"Mm... Just for a couple more minutes."

"Harry... what? What's so funny?" He demanded, confused by his smile.

"Nothing, it's just weird to hear you use my first name when it's usually '_Potter_'" he spat his surname in the same manner Malfoy always had.

"And I haven't always been '_Malfoy_' to you?" he spoke his own name with a tone of disgust.

"Fair enough... Draco. What were you saying?"

His lips twitched in a smile "I'm sorry."

"You've done a lot of stuff, what are you sorry about?"

"Everything. You remember that first night here? I was being a pompous little git, then got upset that the Famous Harry Potter didn't want to be friends."

"And that's the cause of seven years of hatred? Aside from being a death eater too?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "That, house rivalry... and, yes, me and my death eater family."

Harry raised his eyebrows at the grim tatoo on his forearm "... You're the enemy."

Their smiles vanished as they were reminded of their conflicts.

"I am... the enemy." he sighed "And look what I've been a part of. Look what I've helped acheive..."

"It's not too late y'know. Come, fight with us. You just made the wrong choices, can't you change your mind?"

"I can't. My parents... he'll hurt my family, I can't! Those choices were made for me." his voice broke in regret.

"I have to go soon... so will you."

"No, please, don't make me." he pleaded "Stay. Just a little while longer, it'll make no difference."

Goyle coughed and started to stir. They looked over to him, startled by the realisation that they hadn't been completely alone. Malfoy stood up and held his hand out to help Harry up. He took it, although the mistrust showed in is reluctance. They stood close together and watched each other for a moment.

"What?" Harry asked quietly.

Malfoy sighed and started to walk down the corridor "This... hatred between us. It's not good. I don't want it."

He followed and they walked side by side "No? Well what do you want?"

"I want to... I want to love you." he looked down, his pale face flushing pink.

He was shocked beyond words, but after a few seconds he manged a stutter "W-what? What are you on about?"

"It's ridiculous, I know." he shook his head.

"You can't just go from one extreme to the other. You can't hate someone for years then decide you'd rather love them. It doesn't work like that."

"I know! And I know that it could never happen, but it doesn't change how it feels."

Harry stopped and looked out at the rapidly darkening night. He would have to join the others soon. Malfoy did the same, nervous as he reached out and took his hand. "I'm sorry, I souldn't have said anything." his voice wavered with despair.

"Don't be sorry. It's just so out of character. I don't know... I wish we had just a bit more time. Even if it was only an hour."

"An hour?" he slipped his free hand into his pocket. "Just... one hour." then he pulled his hand from his pocket and opened it to reveal a time turner.

"But they were all destroyed in the Ministry... How did you get one?"

"I've had it a while, thought it might be useful at some point. And there are ways to get things without the ministry interfering." he smirked.

Malfoy put the chain around both their necks and looked into Harry's bright green eyes "Just one hour..." and he turned it once over.

Time reversed around them, but only for a short moment and they found themselves alone in the corridor. There was no sign of anyone coming just yet, but they couldn't stay were they were for long. The Room of Requirement would be occupied, leaving them to find another secluded part of the castle. They settled for an empty classroom, putting a quick protective charm on the door as a deterrant to anyone who might try and enter.

Harry sat in the window, watching as the skies would eventually darked with the evil that approached. "How could you let yourself become one of them? Do you not have a conscience?"

"I'm regretting it now, aren't I?" he replied defensively "And I have been for a while. I knew it was you, when the snatchers caught you... But I couldn't turn you in. It felt too wrong."

"And I appreciate that... I'm not completely without fault either."

"You mean cutting me open with a spell you wanted to test out?" he reminded of the Sectusempra spell Harry had shot at Malfoy under the instruction of Snape's old potions book.

"Yes."

"I thought it was something special, being a... being a follower. I thought I could restore my family's reputation. My father's pride. I did get nervous when it came to getting the Dark Mark, and that's probably the first time it occured to me: this was wrong."

"But you did it anyway."

"And then when I had it, I felt more important. Proud of myself, the Dark Lord had trusted me with such an important task-"

"He would have killed you afterwards, you realise?"

"But when it came to actually killing someone" he frowned "I couldn't. It was too wrong of me."

Harry looked at him with an unclear expression "And since then?"

Malfoy turned away "I've been so scared. Even his followers are getting killed off for doing the slightest things. There's nowhere safe anymore."

"So is that why you changed your mind? You don't hate me now, because I'm fighting him? You want me to win, not because we're fighting for what's right, but because you have an unwelcome house guest?"

"No, of course that's not what I meant!" his grey eyes filled with sadness. Clearly Harry was not so trusting of him. "You, you'e done so much for people. You've risked your life over and over, even as a child. Everyone likes you, they're all on your side. People would die to help the cause you're fighting. All your friends, they all look up to you. They never lost hope, because they had every faith in you. You've been so selfless, and I know it can't have been you've acheived... It's amazing. You are amazing."

"No, I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm falling for this!" he shook his head and laughed with derision.

"Come here, I want to show you something." he said quietly.

Harry didn't move. "No, what is it?"

"Don't worry. Just look." Malfoy rolled his eyes and began to unbutton his shirt.

"W-what are you doing?!" he was confused and almost worried, but he couldn't take his eyes off the perfect, pale skin being revealed.

When he had finished, and his shirt hung open, he gestured for him to come closer.

He waited for a moment, then stood up. He watched him as he took one reluctant step forward.

"Fine." he sighed as he walked confidently to narrow the distance between them. "You might need your wand to see it."

Cautiously, Harry drew his wand "Lumos." The tip lit up and he pointed it at Malfoy who smiled and lowered it to illuminate his bare torso.

"What am I meant to be looking at?"

"The scars you left."

He frowned and looked closer. Sure enough, there were faint scars, so difficult to see against the alabaster skin. "I can't believe I did that... I'm sorry."

"No, don't feel bad, that's not what I meant. Look..." he traced his fingertip along where the scars intersected. "It's funny really, considering it was you who gave them to me, that they would look like that. You're not the only one with a lightning bolt scar."

Harry lightly stroked where Malfoy had highlighted, then looked up at him. He put out the light of his wand, not saying a word, and put it back into his pocket.

Smiling at his touch, he raised a hand to push his jet black hair from his face and uncovering the scar on his forehead "And now we match."

"And now we match..." he repeated, feeling his heart beat harder.

They knew what they should do now, and it was all they could do. Their eyes took swift glances at the clock at one end of the room, to see what remained of their only hour. Whatever it was, it would have to be enough. They looked back at each other and smiled, then leaning in to press their lips together. Malfoy slid his hands into Harry's hair, while he pulled him closer by the waist.

"I can't fight with you... but I won't fight against you." he promised.

"I understand. And you know that this is all there can ever be for us? This is it."

He nodded "Just this hour. This short time, completely out of context."

"But it could be one of my last. I know now, the probability of failing, and the consequences." his voice shook, but acceptance was clear in his eyes.

Malfoy opened his mouth to say something, a calming word, or a protest. But Harry didn't need to hear it. Instead, he kissed him again, deeper this time. Their wet lips slipped smoothly over each other, and they caught their breath through lustful sighs. Malfoy slid his toungue against Harry's, intensifying the kiss.

They stayed like this for a while, until slowly breaking apart with short kisses to gradualise the stop. Their quick breathing was hot against each other's skin and for a couple of minutes they both just stood, held in the other's arms.

"It's almost over, isn't it?" Malfoy asked, as he followed Harry's gaze to the clock again.

He nodded and let go of him. He walked to the door, removing the charm and getting ready to return to the real world at the right time.

"Good luck Harry... I know you can do this." he whispered, moving to stand beside him. Then he removed the time turner from around his neck. "Take this."

"I... I can't. When I leave here, I could be leaving to die. What use would I have of it?"

"I want you to have it. To remember. It's out of context, but it still happened. And you've defeated the Dark Lord before, so why can't you do it again? For the last time."

"I hope so." he took the time turner, putting it round his own neck. "And what about you, Draco? Are you planning to forget?"

"No... I don't think I will."

There was a long pause. It was almost time.

Harry took Malfoy's hand and squeezed it quickly "Time to go."

"See ya, Potter." he sneered and then grinned.

"Bye, Malfoy." he replied in the same tone of dislike.

They left the room, and went their seperate ways without another word. Harry took a deep breath and looked out the windows he passed at the dark, ominous sky. He had spent long enough away from the battle, and all that needed to be said, had been.

The sound of the fight, of curses hitting and missing and of all the destruction mixed together. Was it wrong of him to take that hour whilst another version of himself found the diadem? Was it selfish to spend that extra time with Malfoy while people were risking their lives? While he still loved Ginny? Was he as selfless as Malfoy had described?

Pushing those thoughts from his head, he decended into the chaos that would claim the lives of so many friends and innocents that night...

Nineteen years later.

As Harry walked along the bustling platform he saw all the goodbyes, worried parents and excited young witches and wizards. He never forgot the feeling of speeding towards the magical place he had once called home, the feeling of leaving the normal muggle world behind and entering the wizarding world which was so full of new, amazing possibilities. And he was proud to watch his own childeren start their new adventures at the school he had loved so much. He smiled as Ginny fussed over them, always a concerned mother at these times. He greeted Ron and Hermione, who were seeing off their children too.

Among their usual conversations with the hectic nature of the school run, Ron pointed someone out of the crowd. "Look who it is."

Harry looked to see Draco Malfoy standing with his wife and son. The boy looked just as much like Draco as Albus Severus looked like Harry. He hoped ther wouldn't be the conflict they had shared in their time at Hogwarts.

Malfoy noticed Harry looking at him and nodded in acknowlegement.

_Miles away, hidden safely away, a small golden time turner glowed in the box it was kept in. It hadn't been disturbed in all that time, nor had it been forgotten._

The reaction was neither friendly or cold, but the look in his eyes showed Harry that he remembered. Both of them remembered that one hour where they could have loved each other.


End file.
